Today there is
tremendous interest in keeping your brain sharp, fit and tanned. And last week
I shared several techniques to help remember what you are trying to learn. In
addition, there are many brain activities being promoted to strengthen your brain.
But which ones actually help? To help choose the best activities to work your
brain, ask the following five questions.
1. Is the activity
challenging? The activity should force you to concentrate and pay close
attention. You may feel frustrated and discouraged. But don’t stop. If it
doesn’t push you, it may not provide the necessary workout your brain needs. 2.
Is it progressive? Now here is the second part. As you learn the skill, the
difficulty needs to increase so you can continue challenging yourself. You
can’t rest on your successes, but instead use them to motivate yourself to try
the next level. 3. Does it engage several of your brain's processing
systems? You should try to use different parts of your brain in the same
activity. For example as you dance - under dimmed lights to your favorite
romantic song, following your partner’s firm lead and appreciating his masculine
cologne, try eating a sloppy Big Mac. 4. Is it rewarding and
surprising? If you don’t enjoy the activity and find it interesting, you
probably won’t be doing it for long - unless you are a glutton for punishment.
So make it fun and reward yourself - maybe with some brain healthy dark
chocolate and a small glass of wine?
Okay now that you know the questions to ask, how about a few Brain Rattlers that are fun, challenging and get progressively harder – at least in my mind. I’ll provide the answers next week.
1.) If there are two
ducks ahead of a duck, and two ducks behind a duck and one duck in the middle,
how many ducks are there?
2.) Before Mount Everest
was discovered what was the tallest mountain on earth?
3.) Melissa’s mother has seven kids. Their names are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. What is the seventh child’s name?
3.) Melissa’s mother has seven kids. Their names are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. What is the seventh child’s name?
4.) In the dead of
winter you are in a house with only one match. There is a gas lamp, a
fireplace, and a wood stove. Which would you light first?
5.) Two boys are identical in appearance and have the same parents. One was born five minutes after the other. These two boys are not twins. How is this possible?
5.) Two boys are identical in appearance and have the same parents. One was born five minutes after the other. These two boys are not twins. How is this possible?
Whether
you try memory techniques or challenging Brain Rattlers, the bottom line is to
keep learning, keep moving and keep trying something new every day.
Paint parties are a great
way to enjoy an evening out: having fun creating your own painting to take home.
To make sure you aren’t missing the fun, Meals-on-Wheels has scheduled a
braveART paint party fundraiser on Friday, July 8th at 6:30 PM at
the Center. For $40 per person, all supplies are provided as well as light
refreshments with all proceeds supporting the valuable work of Meals-on-Wheels.
To purchase tickets, contact Jenny Loughmiller at jloughmiller@gmail.com.
For the
Center’s Tuesday Night Music last week, I almost had two bands show up. My
apologies to Bob, Roger and rest of the Country Road band for my mess up. But the
Center is back on the regular schedule, so on the 12th, Martin and
Friends will be playing for your dancing and listening pleasure. Doors open at
6:00, music starts at 7:00, and donations are appreciated.
The
name of the popular animated series of short films, first created in 1940,
about a cat always trying to catch the same mouse (and also the name of a
winter holiday drink) is Tom and Jerry.
For
many young baseball fans’ in the 50’s, like myself, the New York Yankees was
the team you loved to hate - winning eight American League pennants and six
World Series during the 1950’s. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who
was the Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, who spent his entire 18-year career with
the Yankees winning 236 games? Email your answer to
www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it to the
Center with a #16 Yankee jersey.
Well,
it’s been another week slapping on the sun screen. Until we meet again, isn’t
it true that as you grow older, you don’t have to worry about avoiding
temptation. It will avoid you.
“Never make
predictions, especially about the future.” Casey Stengel
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